Suarez on track to become first man to beat Messi & Ronaldo since compatriot Forlan

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have played the lead roles in the battle for all individual awards and recognition during recent years. If on a team level, the Barcelona star is a long way head, the head-to-head record between the two has been more equal. 

Since 2009-10, the Pichichi - the award for La Liga’s top scorer - has been won by either Messi or Ronaldo. This season, however, their reign is in serious danger. Luis Suarez is leading the way not just in the Spanish league, but also in Europe for the Golden Shoe, a prize, coincidentally, he shared with Ronaldo after a fantastic season for Liverpool in 2013-14. 

Suarez is not about hot streaks. This season he’s never gone for more than three games without a goal in all competitions. His regularity has been the key feature of his push for the Pichichi, as has his ability to save Barcelona when the team suffered an inexplicable crisis of results. 

The Uruguayan forward became the first player to score four goals in back-to-back games, with those eight goals catapulting him to the top of the domestic and continental goal scoring tables. Interestingly, since 2008-09, the top scorer in the Spanish league has also been the winner of the Golden Shoe. 

Also interesting, the last Pichichi winner before the dominance of Messi and Ronaldo was another Uruguayan: Diego Forlan. 

With just two games to go, Suarez leads the way with 35 goals. The Blaugrana front man has taken advantage of the absence of Ronaldo in recent games, scoring nine in just three league appearances. 

It’s been his best ever goal scoring season, overtaking his best ever total in all competitions, which was 49 with Ajax in 2009-10. 

Recent Pichichi winners:

2009-10 Leo Messi / 34 goals

2010-11 Cristiano Ronaldo / 41 goals

2011-12 Leo Messi / 50 goals

2012-13 Leo Messi / 45 goals

2013-14 Cristiano Ronaldo / 31 goals

2014-15 Cristiano Ronaldo / 48 goals

Recent Golden Shoe winners:

2009-10 Leo Messi 34 goals

2010-11 Cristiano Ronaldo 41 goals

2011-12 Leo Messi 50 goals

2012-13 Leo Messi 45 goals

2013-14 Cristiano Ronaldo/ Luis Suárez 31 goals

2014-15 Cristiano Ronaldo 48 goals

Pichichi standings 2015-16:

Suarez 35

Ronaldo 31

Messi 25

Neymar 23

Benzema 23

Golden Shoe standings 2015-16:

Suarez (URU, Barcelona) 35 goals, 70 points

Higuain (ARG, Napoli) 32 goals, 64 points

Ronaldo (POR, Real Madrid) 31 goals, 62 points

Jonas (BRA, Benfica) 31 goals, 62 points

Lewandowski (POL, Bayern) 27 goals, 54 points